Most homeowners don’t bother to check behind the walls of their house or the attic unless they need to retrieve something stored there. Unfortunately, these spooky areas can be the most dangerous places in your house. That’s primarily because they provide an ideal environment for all kinds of pests, including rats and mice. Mice are sneaky little critters who can invade your home or business via unimaginably narrow spaces. They are notorious for chewing through walls, floors, and piping, inflicting severe structural damage to your home.
Mice also spread deadly diseases like rat-bite fever and Hantavirus via bites, urine, and feces. That’s why a rat infestation must be promptly controlled using an approved process that is safe for human health. A Park Pest Control technician will thoroughly inspect your home or business to determine the rat or mouse species you’re dealing with and their entry points. Based on these findings, the expert will provide the most suitable and long-term solution to your rat problem.
Typical Rodent Species in Severna Park, Arnold & Pasadena
There are more than 20 different rat & mice species living in the United States. These long-tailed rodents come in different sizes and behaviors, meaning that methods used to control them will differ. That’s why home and business owners should never attempt to deal with a rat problem themselves. A DIY approach often results in the use of wrong treatments that can cause serious harm to pets, children, and employees.
A trained pest control technician will thoroughly inspect your premises and easily identify the rat species at a glance. The most common rat species in Severna Park, Arnold & Pasadena, MD:
- Norway Rats: Also known as the brown, sewer, or common rat, the Norway rat is a widespread rat species in the U.S. Growing up to 15-20 inches long, Norway rats have a black or brown color with a brown or light-gray underside. These aggressive critters typically live and breed in damp environments like sewers. They feed on nearly anything in their way, including plants, birds, and eggs. When they invade your homes, Norway rats shelter in bathrooms, basements, and other damp, undisturbed places.
- Roof Rats: Roof rats are small rodents that get their name from their tendency to make nests on the upper floors of buildings. These long-tailed invaders are typically black or light brown and grow 5-7 inches long. Unlike Norway rats, roof rats have long ears that often reach 8 inches in length. Studies show that roof rats are pretty intelligent and can detect and avoid new objects, such as traps in their environments, making it hard to control them.
How Do Rats and Mice Get into Homes? 3 Most Common Entry Points
Both Mice and rats are remarkably intelligent creatures that will quickly sneak into your home if they get the opportunity. These opportunistic pests constantly search for food, water, and shelter.
Research shows that rats have a high sense of smell. Some species can smell foods through packaging, pantry doors, and even walls. Like mice, rats actively seek ways to enter your home or business. Here are the most common rat entry points:
- Cracked walls: Rats and mice have flexible bodies that allow them to wiggle through small openings like cracks in walls and gaps around windows. They also have extraordinarily strong teeth that can chew around the small holes in your home’s foundation to create bigger openings and get inside. You can seal small holes with caulk and fill in bigger ones with steel wool.
- Damaged roof: Roofs develop holes that often go unnoticed for long periods. Rats can exploit the holes in your roof to get inside and shelter in the attic. To prevent this, inspect your roof at least twice and fix any damages.
- Vent openings: Vents usually have openings and gaps that are large enough for rodents to squeeze through. Worse still, rats can easily chew through vent covers and sneak into your home unnoticed. To prevent rats from entering your home via vents, seal all openings around your vent and cover the seal with a metal screen.
Do I Have Rodents ? How to Identify an Infestation
Rats and mice are nocturnal pests, meaning they are mostly active between dusk and dawn. They remain hidden throughout the day, making it hard for homeowners to spot the actual pests themselves. Luckily, however, these nuisance pests often leave behind tell-tale signs of an infestation. Here’s how to tell if you have rats or mice:
Squeaking or Scratching Noises
Rats and mice make noises such as hisses, chirps, and squeaks when communicating. Some species, like roof rats, are agile climbers, and you may hear scratching noises at night as they climb into walls. It’s also possible to hear noises as Norway rats crawl or scurry under decking or floorboards.
Piles of Droppings
Droppings are one of the most obvious signs of an infestation. Most types of rodents excrete at least 40-50 droppings per day. Rat droppings are best described as small and smooth, cylindrical-shaped droppings with glossy black color and pointed ends. Rat poop is often compared to coffee beans or raisings and is often found under kitchen appliances, behind cupboards, in pantries, and along garage walls.
Damaged Containers and Food Packages
Rodents are notorious for gnawing through plastic containers and cardboard packaging to steal food. Holes in bags and gnaw marks on storage containers are clear signs of a rat infestation. Be sure to throw away damaged food sacks, bags, or containers, as rats contaminate food and spread diseases.
Rub Marks
Rats and mice have very poor eyesight and hence don’t rely on their ability to see when moving around your house. Instead, they use established routes along the skateboard or wall. Because rat bodies are covered in dirt, filth, and grease, they leave smear marks and smudges on the surfaces they repeatedly crawl against.
Nests
Nests are typically made of man-made debris such as cotton, fabric, shredded cardboard, loft insulation, paper, and twigs. The small pests pack these materials into warm, undisturbed places where they feel safe from harsh weather and predators. Nests are often found in the attic, crawlspaces, lofts, and between walls.
Contact Park Pest Control for Professional Rodent Control
If you suspect or have spotted the signs of a rat infestation, it’s critical that you act promptly to reduce the risk of structural damage and the spread of diseases. While rats and mice are all over our area they are even more of a problem in waterfront towns such as Severna Park, Pasadena and Arnold. Park Pest Control offers highly effective rodent control solutions throughout our area. Our licensed local technicians are backed by years of experience and innovative solutions to eliminate pests on your premises. In addition, we offer expert advice to reduce the risk of pest infestations in your home or business.
Contact Park Pest Control today for fast and effective rodent control services for your home or business.
